Sep-19 Sat 22:36
“Determination Flotilla“ sparked protests in Tunisia.
On Saturday, hundreds of people in Tunis participated in a protest demanding the release of four activists detained in connection with the financing and organization of activities related to the “Global Freedom Flotilla.“ Wael Nouar, Ghassan Bougdiri, Nabil Chennoufi, and Ghassan Hanchiri face various charges, including money laundering and misuse of donations. They were arrested last March while preparing for a new sea voyage from Tunisia to Gaza, which was later cancelled.
Protesters reiterated their call for the release of the activists, warning that their health was deteriorating after they began a hunger strike to protest their detention conditions.
Bassam Trifi, head of the Tunisian Human Rights League, stated that the case was politically motivated, emphasizing that the detainees were being treated like prisoners of conscience and political prisoners.
El-Tarifi added that the Palestinian cause enjoys broad popular support in Tunisia, and that turning the activities of the movement supporting Palestinians into a matter of fundraising is, in his view, an attempt to distract from the underlying issues.
Ghassan Bouazzi, one of those demanding the release of the activists, stated that their arrests were part of a broader campaign targeting political opponents, human rights defenders, and journalists, pointing to the presence of external pressures in this case, but did not specify which parties he was referring to.
The “Global Resolve Flotilla“ described its campaign as a peaceful movement aimed at protesting the siege imposed on Gaza and the famine and destruction of civilian infrastructure in the strip.
Last year, ships belonging to the flotilla were attacked by two drones while in the port of Sidi Bou Said. Israel subsequently stopped the ships while en route to Gaza, seized their vessels, detained participants, and then deported them.